It’s a gift!
Düsseldorf is the venue for five matches of the 2024 European Men‘s Football Championship. Around 5 billion TV viewers worldwide and around 3 million spectators in the stadiums are expected at the EURO. We asked Thomas Neuhäuser, the city‘s project manager, about the preparations for this mega-event and what the EURO means for Düsseldorf.
What does the event mean economically and in terms of advertising?
UEFA expects 5 billion TV viewers worldwide. That puts the ten host cities in Germany in a position of such relevance in terms of advertising which is unlikely to happen again any time soon. And we are only talking about the football matches. For example, there are also preliminary reports from the fan zones and in the cities. The advertising value for Düsseldorf from what fans post on social media channels is also enormous. We expect around 12 million fans in the cities - in addition to the 3 million ticket holders, there will also be many fans without tickets who will still come to experience the event. We hope that this will send images of Düsseldorf around the world that will have a lasting effect and encourage people to return or visit for the first time. For the gastronomy, the hotel industry and also for Düsseldorf as a business location in general, this is an enormous opportunity - and a gift - despite all the effort and costs involved. We have to make use of this gift!
Why does Düsseldorf have what it takes to host the European Championship?
The city has often proven that it can successfully host major events with its very good infrastructure. For example, the Grand Départ of the Tour de France in 2017 or annual events such as Japan Day, the Rhine fun fair or carnival. We have a good network of the institutions and authorities involved here, and that is also helping us now enormously with the organisation of the EURO.
“The city has often proven that it can successfully host major events with its very good infrastructure.”
Thomas Neuhäuser
City of Düsseldorf
Team UEFA EURO 2024
Project Manager
What are the most important things you are currently dealing with in terms of planning and organising the EURO?
We have a project structure with different sub-projects: Security and Planning, Mobility, Marketing and Communication, Fan Zones and Volunteers. In the security project, for example, we are looking at how we can guarantee a safe route to the stadium. In the mobility project, we are developing solutions, for example, to see how we can get as many people as possible to use public transport during the EURO weeks. There are various scenarios. After all, the implementation also depends on which teams will ultimately play each other: A small country like Malta doesn‘t have as many fans as Turkey, for example. It also plays a role how far the guests travel: Swedes travelling to see their team will also need accommodation, while guests from BeneLux countries might not. In order to prepare ourselves in the best possible way, we are also in contact with the host associations and fan representatives of the teams. We are also planning a survey to find out: What makes a good host city for you? Or: How long do you plan to stay with us?
The home of Fortuna Düsseldorf will host five matches of the European Men‘s Football Championship in 2024: the Merkur Spiel-Arena
What is the importance of the volunteers? Can Düsseldorf companies also get involved here?
Volunteers are incredibly important for the European Championships. They are the friendly face, the ambassadors of the city and often the first contact for the guests who have arrived, for example when they show them the way to the stadium. For the first time in the history of the EURO, there is a joint volunteer programme between UEFA and the host cities, so that all volunteers are treated equally and receive top equipment and training. In Düsseldorf, we will need around 500 volunteers outside the stadiums. We will try to get as many Düsseldorfers as possible to participate. There is also the idea of involving companies. For example, whether employees who speak a certain foreign language well can be released. In this way we can also signal a common bond: This is a Düsseldorf event and we as a company are part of it! You can apply as a volunteer from the middle of 2023; a central online portal will be set up for this purpose. By the way, we are also considering whether to involve municipal trainees in the EURO, because they can of course learn a lot about municipal structure and organisation at such a diverse event. •
Facts about UEFA EURO 2024
Date: 14 June 2024 (opening match) - 14 July 2024 (final)
Matches in Düsseldorf: 17 June, 21 June, 24 June, 1 July, 6 July (quarter-finals)
51 matches, 24 teams/nations
June 2023: Start of ticket sales and volunteer recruitment
December 2023: Draw and announcement of match pairings
February to June 2024: UEFA Trophy Tour through all venues
Words Tom Corrinth
Pictures Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf/Uwe Schaffmeister
D.LIVE/ Peter Weihs
Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf/Oliver Tjaden
Istock